Northern Ireland Protocol

Gavin Newlands SNP

Paisley and Renfrewshire North

Question

MP asked about the implications of the Stormont brake on democratic deficit reduction in Northern Ireland. He requested assurances that any veto would not result in regulatory divergence.

Minister reply

The Minister responded by explaining that the Stormont brake aims to prevent new EU goods laws from being imposed without consent, thus addressing the democratic deficit issue effectively.

Seema Malhotra Lab

Thornton Heath

Question

MP questioned whether businesses will be adequately supported in transitioning under the agreement and expressed concern about potential disruption.

Minister reply

The Minister assured that the transition will be managed with a phased approach, providing time for adjustments and ensuring minimal disruption.

Rebecca Harris Con

Castle Point

Question

MP inquired about the specific timeline for implementation of dual regulation measures concerning medicines.

Minister reply

The Minister confirmed that detailed timelines will be provided soon, including a phased roll-out to ensure smooth transition and compliance.

Nigel Mills Con

Amber Valley

Question

MP sought clarification on the impact of the agreement on food imports from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

Minister reply

The Minister stated that the agreement removes burdensome checks and paperwork for food imports, ensuring seamless trade and availability.

Helen Hayes Lab

Dewsbury

Question

MP questioned how the dual regulation approach will be enforced and whether it complies with EU standards.

Minister reply

The Minister assured that enforcement mechanisms are in place, including data sharing by parcel operators and visual inspections at a reduced rate.

Keir Starmer Lab

Holborn and St Pancras

Question

Starmer paid tribute to Betty Boothroyd and DCI John Caldwell, highlighting the importance of the Good Friday agreement. He acknowledged Labour's commitment to support any EU deal that benefits Northern Ireland and endorsed measures such as the red and green lanes proposal for reducing checks on goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, while stressing it comes with trade-offs.

Minister reply

Rishi Sunak thanked Starmer for his comments and emphasised the need to look forward rather than back. He highlighted the balance inherent in the Belfast/Good Friday agreement and argued that the changes made through the Windsor framework will restore this balance, putting control of their destiny back into the hands of people in Northern Ireland.

Theresa May

Question

May paid tribute to both Baroness Boothroyd and DCI John Caldwell. She congratulated the Government on achieving a negotiated settlement which will make a huge difference, endorsing the idea that everyone should support this settlement in the best interests of all people in Northern Ireland.

Minister reply

Sunak thanked May for her words and paid tribute to the Secretaries of State involved. He highlighted the work done by his team and agreed with May's sentiment that focusing on what is in the best interest of people in Northern Ireland should be top priority.

Stephen Flynn SNP

Aberdeen South

Question

Flynn acknowledged Betty Boothroyd’s impact, expressed condolences for a police officer shot in Northern Ireland, and questioned the sincerity of the Conservative government's past issues with the EU. He criticised Brexit as an 'unmitigated disaster' based on OBR reports and pointed out workforce shortages in social care due to Brexit. Flynn highlighted that Scotland faces a disadvantage compared to Northern Ireland regarding access to the single market under the new deal, questioning whether Scotland’s only recourse is to leave Westminster.

Minister reply

Rishi Sunak thanked Stephen Flynn for his support on the Windsor framework and acknowledged its sovereignty provision for Northern Ireland's communities. He stated that he would always believe in a stronger Union when together and expressed willingness to protect the Union day by day.

Peter Bottomley

Question

Peter Bottomley noted constituents' views on resolving known protocol problems with new engagement mechanisms. He mentioned the historical context of 50 years since a Unionist MP was Minister in the UK Government and hoped this agreement would make it possible again.

Minister reply

Rishi Sunak thanked Peter Bottomley for his support, noting that the agreement addresses current issues while establishing structures for future dialogue with communities and businesses in Northern Ireland to ensure their voices are heard.

Jeffrey M. Donaldson

Question

On behalf of the Democratic Unionist party, Jeffrey M. Donaldson expressed tributes to Betty Boothroyd and condolences regarding DCI Caldwell. He acknowledged the vindication of his party’s judgment in opposing the protocol, thanked previous leaders for their work on this issue, and noted that significant progress has been secured but key issues remain concerning sectors where EU law applies within the UK internal market.

Minister reply

Rishi Sunak thanked Jeffrey M. Donaldson for constructive engagement during negotiations, assuring him of the framework's resolution to protocol issues and its impact on Northern Ireland’s place in the UK internal market and sovereignty.

Simon Hoare Con

North Dorset

Question

The agreement demonstrates that, when committed minds do politics seriously, serious and beneficial outcomes can be delivered for the benefit of all in our country. While agreeing entirely with my right hon. Friend that the parties, particularly those in Northern Ireland, need the time and space to study the detail and to work out all the implications for those in Northern Ireland, Northern Irish business wants and the good people of Northern Ireland most certainly deserve quick certainty. If there are to be votes in this place on any element of the Windsor framework, as announced today, will he commit to ensuring they take place speedily in order to ensure certainty and peace of mind for all who either live in Northern Ireland or who wish Northern Ireland well?

Minister reply

My hon. Friend knows this subject well, and he is rightly passionate about it. I thank him for all the valuable work that he and his colleagues have done over the years as we considered and concluded these negotiations. As I said earlier, Parliament will of course have its say and there will be a vote, but we need to do that at the appropriate time in order to give people the time and space to consider the detail. My hon. Friend makes an important point that the benefit of this framework and agreement is that it can start to provide that certainty and those benefits to the people and communities of Northern Ireland very soon.

Edward Davey Lib Dem

Kingston and Surbiton

Question

I join others in paying tribute to our late, great Speaker, Betty Boothroyd. Like me, Mr Speaker, I am sure you remember with fondness when you caught Speaker Boothroyd’s eye and when she brought you to order. I also send my party’s thoughts and prayers to DCI John Caldwell and his family and thank him for his courage and bravery. Like others, the Liberal Democrats will now closely study this deal, but I welcome the spirit of partnership and compromise between the UK Government and the European Union in the formation of the Windsor agreement. What consultation will the Prime Minister now undertake with all of Northern Ireland’s political parties, including the Alliance party, on the Stormont brake? Can he reassure us that the operation of the Stormont brake will not undermine the economic stability and certainty or the political stability so desperately needed in Northern Ireland?

Minister reply

I am happy to give the right hon. Gentleman the assurance that we will continue to engage with all parties and communities in Northern Ireland—that is the right way to proceed—particularly with regard to the operation of the brake. That is set out in the Command Paper, and we look forward to discussing it, and how to codify it, with the Executive, the Assembly and the political parties as we move forward.

Julian Smith Con

Skipton and Ripon

Question

I join the tributes to John Caldwell, who was shot in front of his son while loading footballs into his car after training kids at a football match in Omagh last week. I welcome the Windsor agreement and the Windsor framework, and I believe today marks a critical moment in ending three years of instability that has affected communities throughout this most fragile part of our country. I pay tribute to my right hon. Friend and his team for all they have done to secure this. Does he agree that we now need to give the right hon. Member for Lagan Valley (Sir Jeffrey M. Donaldson) and all the other Northern Ireland parties the time, space and encouragement to restore power sharing and to ensure that political decision-making in Northern Ireland can start as soon as possible?

Minister reply

I pay tribute to my constituency neighbour not just for the job he did as Northern Ireland Secretary but for his continued passion and devotion to the people of Northern Ireland. I also thank him personally for the support and advice he has given to me in helping us reach the framework today. I wholeheartedly agree with him, and I hope we can move forward with time and space to build a better future for the people of Northern Ireland.

Hilary Benn Lab

Leeds South

Question

I congratulate the negotiators on this very significant achievement. I also congratulate the Prime Minister on his statement, in which he was so frank about the manifest failings of the original Northern Ireland protocol negotiated and signed by his predecessor, which made today’s deal so necessary. Does he agree that the European Union has moved a long way in these negotiations? And does he agree that everyone in this House looks forward, as soon as possible, to the restoration of power sharing in Northern Ireland, because that is in the best interests of the people of that part of our United Kingdom?

Minister reply

The right hon. Gentleman is right that we have had constructive and good negotiations with the European Union, and I pay tribute to President Ursula von der Leyen for the leadership and vision she has demonstrated in trying to find a way through to help us resolve these issues. She and her team deserve enormous credit for displaying that vision, leadership and creativity.

David Davis Con

Goole and Pocklington

Question

I start by unreservedly congratulating my right hon. Friend on what seems to be a spectacular negotiating success. With the Windsor framework, he has succeeded in delivering a deal that eliminates the issues of the Irish sea border and addresses the practical issues in Northern Ireland on food, pets, plants, parcels, medicine regulations and tax rules. Above all, it introduces the extraordinary mechanism of the Stormont brake. I am unaware of any such mechanism in any international agreement, and it seems to me to be a brilliant piece of negotiating insight and imagination. As we do not all know the detail, can he explain to the House exactly how this mechanism will work and what its limitations will be?

Minister reply

I thank my right hon. Friend for his warm words, which mean a lot coming from a Brexiteer with such long-standing credentials. As someone who has done the job, he knows how difficult these things are, so it means a lot to me and the Government to have his support.

Colum Eastwood SDLP

Foyle

Question

I associate myself with the remarks about Betty Boothroyd, and I join colleagues, particularly my colleagues from Northern Ireland, in sending our love and support to the Caldwell family and every single PSNI officer in uniform today standing up for our peace and democracy. Although we have some concerns, particularly on the Stormont brake—we will study the detail of this as we go—we are happy that things seem to have moved today. There has been an awful lot of talk, particularly today and in recent months, about the concerns of the DUP and the Unionist community. It is important to remember that the majority of people in Northern Ireland opposed Brexit and want to see the benefits of dual market access properly utilised. Does the Prime Minister agree it is important that his Government now support that dual market access and promote it to international investors?

Minister reply

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his engagement with the Secretary of State and myself in recent weeks. He is right: there is a balance to be struck, and the Good Friday agreement is about respecting that balance—it is about the aspirations and identities of all communities in Northern Ireland.

Brandon Lewis Con

Bury St Edmunds

Question

Sends best wishes to detective chief inspector John Caldwell and congratulates the Government on efforts to restore power sharing in Stormont. Asks if the deal will secure free flow of trade for Northern Ireland businesses into Great Britain, and Great British businesses into Northern Ireland.

Minister reply

Confirms the deal aims to remove administrative burdens through a new green lane system based on existing commercial data, ensuring smooth flow of goods around the UK internal market.

George Howarth Lab

Dartford

Question

Asks how the Government will gauge opinion of Northern Irish individuals who identify as distinct from British or Irish.

Minister reply

Engages with all communities, parties and business groups in Northern Ireland to respect the delicate balance of identities and aspirations.

Bill Cash Con

Stone

Question

Requests assurance that Government will respond democratically to questions on EU laws, European Court, Joint Committee procedures, Stormont brake, and sovereignty under section 38 of the EU Withdrawal Agreement Act.

Minister reply

Agrees to engage in dialogue regarding these matters to strengthen provisions protecting Northern Ireland’s place in the Union.

Stephen Farry Alliance

South Antrim

Question

Welcomes agreement but expresses concerns about Stormont brake and its impact on Assembly stability, single market rules, and business investment.

Minister reply

Reaffirms commitment to Northern Ireland's dual market access while ensuring its sovereignty in the Union; looks forward to discussing details further.

Mike Penning Con

Hemel Hempstead

Question

Expresses support for agreement, suggesting EU’s willingness to negotiate was partly due to threat of the Bill.

Minister reply

Acknowledges that while the Bill created conditions for negotiation, preference was always for a negotiated outcome which provides certainty and stability.

Karin Smyth Lab

Bristol South

Question

Asks Government to commit to making sure strands 2 and 3 of the Good Friday agreement are fully implemented.

Minister reply

Commits to all strands of the Good Friday agreement, thanking Irish Government for their support throughout this process.

Andrea Leadsom Con

South Northamptonshire

Question

Congratulates team on deal and asks if it fully restores Act of Union and Belfast/Good Friday agreement.

Minister reply

Assures that the Windsor framework meets requirements and is consistent with both agreements.

Sammy Wilson DUP

East Antrim

Question

I welcome the Prime Minister's admission about the damage caused by the protocol and ask why, despite removing 18-minute confession of 1,700 pages of EU law, hundreds of thousands of remaining pages still apply to Northern Ireland. He also asks how we can trust that future EU laws will not impact Northern Ireland negatively.

Minister reply

The Prime Minister explains that border posts are necessary for red lane checks and the enforcement of rules. Less than 3% of EU law applies in Northern Ireland with consent, allowing for a vote next year to remove all remaining laws if desired. The Stormont brake gives power to the Assembly to veto future goods rules.

Mark Francois Con

Rayleigh and Wickford

Question

The MP thanks the Prime Minister for publishing both the White Paper and legal text on the same day and asks if there will be any nasty surprises in the details that undermine Northern Ireland's position within the UK.

Minister reply

The Prime Minister assures that all documentation has been published to give everyone time to review. He believes the agreement provides free flow of goods, ensures Northern Ireland’s place in the Union, and safeguards sovereignty for the people of Northern Ireland.

Stella Creasy Lab Co-op

Walthamstow

Question

The MP questions whether all remaining retained EU legislation will be retained in Northern Ireland itself using the powers that Stormont currently cannot exercise to avoid regulatory divergence and a trade war.

Minister reply

The Prime Minister confirms that Stormont has the power to block new EU goods laws as they come down. The government commits to dialogue with businesses in Northern Ireland and the European Union to ensure protection against trade and regulatory divergence.

Iain Duncan Smith Con

Chingford and Woodford Green

Question

The MP asks who makes the decision as to what is significant for using the Stormont brake, and if the EU can demand countermeasures.

Minister reply

The Prime Minister clarifies that it is for us to make the determination whether the threshold has been met. The ability to block new law should not be used for trivial reasons but only for significant impacts on everyday life in Northern Ireland. The EU will have the right to take appropriate countermeasures, which must be proportionate.

Liz Saville-Roberts PC

Dwyfor Meirionnydd

Question

The MP asks if this new agreement guarantees seamless trade between Northern Ireland and Wales via Dublin and inquires about the impact on Holyhead port.

Minister reply

The Prime Minister states that the green lane prioritises trade within the UK's internal market, ensuring free flow of goods. The focus is to prioritise trade within the United Kingdom.

John Redwood

Question

Who will decide which EU laws will apply in Northern Ireland and on what basis?

Minister reply

Going forward, when the Executive are up and running, it will be for the Assembly in Northern Ireland to decide. For goods rules under Annex 2, if 30 MLAs from two parties use the petition of concern mechanism to trigger the Stormont brake, that allows the UK Government to veto the goods rules.

Ian Paisley Jnr DUP

North Antrim

Question

Added comments on the attempted murder of DCI Caldwell and thanked the Prime Minister for his statement. Questioned the usefulness of a grace period for veterinary medicines in Northern Ireland, highlighting issues with livestock trade.

Minister reply

Acknowledged support for farmers in Northern Ireland and Yorkshire. Emphasised that the agreement provides a three-year grace period until 2025 to find a permanent solution with the EU.

Sajid Javid Con

Bromsgrove

Question

Welcomed the Prime Minister’s statement and highlighted the benefits of the agreement, including co-operation on illegal migration.

Minister reply

Acknowledged support and confirmed that the Government is working with France to combat illegal migration.

Claire Hanna SDLP

Belfast South and Mid Down

Question

Expressed solidarity for DCI Caldwell and welcomed progress on simpler post-Brexit trading arrangements. Asked the Prime Minister to champion dual market access, prevent vexatious use of Stormont brake, and work towards restoring the Stormont Executive.

Minister reply

Acknowledged support and commitment to championing dual market access and working with all parties in Northern Ireland for greater prosperity.

Liam Fox Con

Wealden

Question

Congratulated the Prime Minister on his negotiating team's efforts and highlighted the role of First Minister and Deputy First Minister in boosting transparency and accountability.

Minister reply

Acknowledged support and confirmed that the Stormont brake will be exercised by the Northern Ireland institutions when restored.

Alison McGovern Lab

Birkenhead

Question

Asked if the UK would remain a member of the European Convention on Human Rights, which is central to the Good Friday agreement.

Minister reply

Confirmed that the UK remains and will continue to be a member of the ECHR. Highlighted that today's agreement restores balance in the Belfast/Good Friday agreement.

Shailesh Vara Con

North West Cambridgeshire

Question

Congratulated the Prime Minister on his efforts and asked about a default mechanism if the Stormont brake cannot be exercised.

Minister reply

Confirmed that the precondition for using the Stormont brake is that the Northern Ireland institution must be up and running. Highlighted the need to restore sovereignty in Northern Ireland.

Jim Shannon DUP

Strangford

Question

Highlighted concerns about European Court of Justice interference, state aid prohibition, and customs protocols within the UK.

Minister reply

Emphasised that the agreement delivers sovereignty for Northern Ireland and protects its place in the Union. Invited further engagement with DUP colleagues to study the detail.

Robert Buckland Con

South Swindon

Question

My right hon. Friend and the Government are to be warmly commended for their statecraft in achieving a significant deal with significant movement from the EU, which I think now understands the primacy of strand 1 of the Good Friday agreement—north-south—as well as strand 3, east-west. Does he agree that this framework now gives a clear basis in international law for the Government to press ahead in bringing forward some of the measures in the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020 that were clearly in conflict with the international law obligations under the old protocol?

Minister reply

My right hon. and learned Friend makes an excellent point. He will remember that the Government had to drop from the UKIM Bill certain provisions guaranteeing unfettered access for Northern Ireland producers into GB because they were in conflict with our international obligations under the protocol. I am pleased that today we can announce, as it states in the Command Paper, that we will legislate to put in statute unfettered access for Northern Ireland’s producers into Great Britain. That is something that the Windsor framework makes possible, and he is absolutely right to highlight it.

Joanna Cherry SNP

Edinburgh South West

Question

The Prime Minister is to be commended for tackling one aspect of the mess left behind by his predecessor but one, but of course, we should not forget that the Prime Minister himself, and most of his colleagues, voted for that mess. It is important to be clear about the role of the European Court of Justice in this framework. EU President Ursula von der Leyen said this afternoon that the European Court of Justice will still have the “final say” on EU law and single market issues. That is correct, isn’t it?

Minister reply

Yes, as a simple matter of fact, the European Court of Justice is the final arbiter on matters of EU law. That is what the President said; she is right. That is simply the legal fact of the case.

Greg Clark Con

Tunbridge Wells

Question

May I strongly welcome my right hon. Friend’s personal achievement—ably supported by the Foreign Secretary and the Northern Ireland Secretary—in securing this deal? It is wholly wrong that the European Commission damaged scientific research by blocking the UK’s association with the Horizon and Copernicus programmes, and nuclear co-operation through Euratom, which have nothing whatever to do with the Northern Ireland protocol. Mrs Von der Leyen indicated earlier today that the EU had changed its mind and its position on this. Is that my right hon. Friend’s understanding? If so, scientists and engineers will welcome that. Will he implement a viable UK alternative should delays persist?

Minister reply

I thank my right hon. Friend for his support. He is right to highlight the many areas of co-operation that we can and should have with the European Union. Science and research is one, but illegal migration, which my right hon. Friend the Member for Bromsgrove (Sajid Javid) brought up, is another, and there is a whole range of possibilities around energy security, climate change and others. My right hon. Friend the Member for Tunbridge Wells (Greg Clark) is also right that we should always reserve the ability to have a UK alternative to Horizon. That is something that the Government said we would do, and I know that he has fed in about how best to do that. I look forward to having that dialogue with him.

Carla Lockhart DUP

Upper Bann

Question

I associate myself with the remarks about the death of Baroness Boothroyd, as well as about DCI John Caldwell, and his young son, who witnessed that horrific attack. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with them. Much has already been said in this House about the Stormont brake and the power that it has. Can the Prime Minister confirm that the Stormont brake not only has the ability to end dynamic alignment with EU law, but gives Unionists or anyone else the opportunity to meaningfully impact whether the legislation applies in Northern Ireland?

Minister reply

That is exactly the point of the Stormont brake. It is based on the petition of concern mechanism—a Good Friday agreement institution—and requires 30 MLAs from two parties. If it is triggered, that provides the UK Government with a veto over that particular law. Obviously, as I have committed to, we will consult with parties in Northern Ireland and with the Assembly about how best to codify how the UK Government use that veto, but the hon. Lady can absolutely have that assurance.

Oliver Heald Con

King's Lynn and West Norfolk

Question

May I join others in paying tribute to Betty Boothroyd, who was a wonderful Speaker and was very popular in my area, which she lived nearby? Does the Prime Minister agree that the UK-EU Partnership Parliamentary Assembly has been supportive of the negotiations? I know that our membership in this place, in the other place and in the European Parliament will be delighted with this outcome. On the legal side, does he agree that to have put the underpinning for the protocol in international law rather than in EU law is a big step forward, as are the dispute resolution changes with arbitration and that Northern Ireland courts will decide cases rather than anyone else?

Minister reply

I thank my right hon. and learned Friend for his chairmanship of the partnership from our side. He and they do valuable work, and I have been grateful—as have the Secretaries of States—for their support during this process. He makes an excellent point: it is a significant development that the Vienna convention on the law of treaties is in the political declaration. It reaffirms the international basis for the treaty. I thank him for his support of that. He is absolutely right about the importance that we should attach to it.

Chris Bryant Lab

Rhondda and Ogmore

Question

At the risk of adding to the sense of repetition this evening, let me say that this is all really good news—hurrah! I congratulate not only the Prime Minister but the Foreign Secretary and the Northern Ireland Secretary. I particularly single out the Minister of State, Northern Ireland Office, the hon. Member for Wycombe (Mr Baker), who has shown that compromise may be costly but it pays enormous dividends. I am grateful to him and the whole team. May I urge the Prime Minister to take up a suggestion made a few years ago by one of his predecessors, the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), who is not in her seat? At the beginning of triggering article 50, she said she wanted to have an EU-UK security treaty. Given many of the issues facing the whole continent at the moment, is this not precisely the time when we should look forward to such a treaty?

Minister reply

I join the hon. Gentleman in paying tribute to my hon. Friend the Minister of State. He is absolutely right to shower praise on him. Not only has my hon. Friend been instrumental in providing the intellectual underpinning for many of the arrangements that we have adopted in the green lane, but his diplomacy—particularly with the Irish, but also with the parties in Northern Ireland—has proved invaluable in getting us to the point that we are at today, and I thank him for it. More broadly, as we have heard previously, there are many areas of co-operation that we can have with our European friends and partners. Particularly over the last year, the co-operation with regards to Ukraine in terms of our security—whether it is sanctions policy or providing support—has been positive and invaluable. Hopefully that is something that we can build on.

Vicky Ford Con

Castle Point

Question

As a Member of this House who was born and raised in Omagh, may I send my love and prayers to DCI John Caldwell? In my hand I have my Omagh school notebook from when I was six. The entry for Thursday 13 December that year says: “Last night a bomb went off in the police barracks. Gillian’s house has no glass in her windows.” I thank my right hon. Friend for the words he said about not looking back. We must move forward and put those things behind us. May I congratulate him on an extraordinarily bespoke deal that sorts out the practicalities but also preserves the Belfast/Good Friday agreement?

Minister reply

I pay tribute to my right hon. Friend for her work but also for her comments just now, which were powerful and moving. She is right that we must look forward, and we will not let those who want to take us back be successful. Stability in Northern Ireland is important, and it is about the balance of the Belfast/Good Friday agreement, as she knows better than many. We have strived very hard to restore that balance with the Windsor framework. I believe that it does that, and I look forward to working with her and colleagues from across the House so that we can look forward to a brighter future for everyone in Northern Ireland.

Gavin Robinson DUP

Belfast East

Question

I thank the Prime Minister and colleagues right across the House for their care and concern for DCI John Caldwell and his family. The Prime Minister knows that it is good to talk. He will recall that when we met in November last year, I acknowledged that he had good ideas around the friction in trade, but that I highlighted my concern around the democratic deficit and constitutional harm. Anyone who reads tittle-tattle on a Sunday—yesterday—may recall that I had similar concerns just 10 days ago. However, I genuinely acknowledge that on both constitutional harm and the democratic deficit, progress has been made. Over the coming weeks and months, as we look to engage with our community and with communities and businesses throughout Northern Ireland to test, probe and tease out the tense aspects of the implementation of this framework agreement, I hope the Prime Minister will recognise that, for us, ratification is important. Does he recognise that, having had so many false dawns and failed starts over the last four or five years of political commitments from the Government side of the House, ratification will need to occur before we can take any final decisions?

Minister reply

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his intervention and also for the engagement that he has had with me and the Secretary of State. It is good to talk. There has been plenty of that, and it has been extremely valuable in reaching today’s framework and agreement. I can assure the hon. Gentleman that I will give him and his colleagues and community the time and space to consider the detail, and that I will work with him to answer any questions that they have and to provide any clarifications that I can, so that we can, hopefully, move forward together. I believe that that is what he and the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland want to do, but he is right, and I acknowledge the frustrations that they feel about what has gone before. I hope that today means that we can start a new chapter as we look forward and build a brighter future for Northern Ireland together, and I welcome doing that with the hon. Gentleman.

Bob Neill Con

Bromley and Chislehurst

Question

I congratulate the Prime Minister on resolving issues in accordance with international law. Will the Prime Minister consider resolving remaining issues over Gibraltar?

Minister reply

The Foreign Secretary is intensely engaged with Spanish counterparts to resolve outstanding issues regarding Gibraltar.

Mary Foy Lab

City of Durham

Question

While welcoming progress, how will the new protocol address damage caused by years of political instability in Northern Ireland?

Minister reply

The Windsor framework aims to restore balance and ensure peace, prosperity and stability for all communities in Northern Ireland.

Julian Lewis Con

New Forest East

Question

What is the reserve plan if Stormont is not sitting?

Minister reply

The priority should be getting Stormont up and running, as it represents sovereignty for Northern Ireland.

Alyn Smith

Question

How will the Stormont backstop handle petitions of concern? Can the joint committee overrule such petitions?

Minister reply

The Stormont brake is a serious mechanism that should be used for significant and lasting changes. There is a process involving consultation, with the UK Government having a veto if necessary.

Edward Leigh Con

Gainsborough

Question

Will the Prime Minister listen to DUP concerns and consider further clarifications or changes?

Minister reply

The agreement focuses on benefits for people in Northern Ireland, including businesses and communities. The framework aims to provide a basis for positive power sharing.

Catherine McKinnell Lab

Newcastle upon Tyne North

Question

Will the Prime Minister reconsider the approach to retained EU law given the new spirit of renegotiation?

Minister reply

Re-examining retained EU law is appropriate for a sovereign nation and will provide benefits to families, businesses, and communities across the UK.

Kevin Foster

Question

What role does the EU team at Belfast port play? How will green lane checks be enforced?

Minister reply

The EU team assists in enforcing the green lanes based on intelligence or risk analysis, not routine checks. Checks are only made if there is reason to suspect smuggling or criminality.

Gregory Campbell DUP

East Londonderry

Question

I join the tributes to Betty Boothroyd and DCI John Caldwell. The Prime Minister indicated at a press conference that there is a role for EU law in Northern Ireland to avoid a hard border, which I argue makes such a scenario impossible due to the extensive land border with 300 miles and over 280 crossing points. Unionists need to be content with governance arrangements going forward.

Minister reply

I have listened to Unionist concerns regarding the protocol thoroughly and believe this framework addresses them. The role of EU law is necessary but ultimately for Northern Ireland's people to decide via a consent vote next year. The Stormont brake allows 30 Assembly members from two parties to block new EU laws, ensuring sovereignty.

Robin Walker

Question

I congratulate the Prime Minister on his commitment and personal involvement in diplomatic efforts regarding Northern Ireland. Will he ensure continued engagement with Unionist concerns as we hope for the restoration of devolved institutions?

Minister reply

We will continue engaging with all communities, especially Unionists, because I believe it is the right thing to do. As Prime Minister, my commitment to this responsibility is unwavering.

Jonathan Edwards

Question

Is it correct that the Northern Ireland Assembly has more power over how EU single market rules apply in its territory compared to the Welsh and Scottish Parliaments regarding UK internal market rules?

Minister reply

The Stormont brake is indeed powerful given Northern Ireland's unique circumstances, addressing a previous democratic deficit and restoring sovereignty.

Laurence Robertson

Question

Can I ask for clarification? If there is a manufacturer in Northern Ireland whose products have no intention of being exported, do they obey UK or EU standards?

Minister reply

The standard compliance depends on the product; most manufacturing goods follow UK standards. Only 11 out of 3,500 standards differ between EU and UK, with UK standards often higher. The framework values dual market access for Northern Ireland businesses.

Paul Blomfield

Question

The Prime Minister's critique on the protocol was valid; can he confirm that the agreement opens up association with Horizon Europe and will he seek it, recognising its importance?

Minister reply

Research co-operation remains an area of continued EU collaboration. Our focus is currently resolving protocol issues but over time we will explore areas like energy security, research, illegal migration.

Alberto Costa Con

South Leicestershire

Question

Will the Prime Minister reassure businesses in South Leicestershire that trade with Northern Ireland via the Windsor framework allows for smoother internal market trade?

Minister reply

I can assure my hon. Friend that smooth trade is central to this framework, addressing logistics concerns and strengthening the Union.

Paul Girvan DUP

North Down

Question

Before I start, I would like to pass on my thoughts and prayers to DCI Caldwell’s family at this time, as well as to the wider PSNI family. There is another aspect that I have real concern about: agricultural businesses in my constituency taking cattle backwards and forwards for shows or for sale might be better off calling a cow one of their pets so that they can bring it back. Any involvement in the ECJ is also a major concern for me, because it means that I am still operating under laws that I have had no control about bringing forward.

Minister reply

On the hon. Gentleman’s last point, the whole point of the Stormont brake is that he does have control over those laws. The framework ensures that we have protected Northern Ireland’s place in the Union, ensured free flow of goods around our UK internal market, safeguarded sovereignty of the Northern Irish people and protected agricultural businesses and their supply chains.

David Jones Con

Clwyd West

Question

The Command Paper tells us that the framework narrows the range of EU rules applicable in Northern Ireland—to less than 3% overall by the EU’s own calculations—which is, of course, highly welcome. Would my right hon. Friend agree to publish a definitive list of the EU rules that will remain so that hon. Members may consider them when assessing the impact of the agreement?

Minister reply

I am happy to look at publishing such a list but the key thing is exactly that: it is less than 3%. It respects the balance necessary in Northern Ireland and ensures that it is the institutions and people of Northern Ireland who decide the laws that they want to adopt.

Chi Onwurah Lab

Newcastle upon Tyne Central

Question

The issues with the Northern Ireland protocol have damaged our communities, our economy and our democracy. When the Northern Ireland protocol delays meant that we could not associate with the Horizon programme, the Government committed that every penny meant for science would be spent on science. Some £2.5 billion was set aside for association with Horizon and £900 million was spent on guarantees, but last week, £1.5 billion was quietly taken out of the budget and back to the Treasury. Now that the Prime Minister has the deal, will he commit to deliver his promises on science?

Minister reply

The Government have committed to spend £20 billion on research and development. It is a record amount. This Government have created a brand new Department for Science, Innovation and Technology because we care about it so much.

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown Con

North Cotswolds

Question

May I also pay my tribute to DCI John Caldwell and to his family? This negotiation—this Windsor agreement—provides the prospect of investors investing with confidence in Northern Ireland to create new jobs, and that it is the people of Northern Ireland who will benefit from this.

Minister reply

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. It provides certainty and stability in Northern Ireland thereby attracting considerable private investment. The focus is on restoring power sharing in Northern Ireland because it has a very special place not just in the UK, but on the European continent.

Kirsty Blackman SNP

Aberdeen North

Question

Can the Prime Minister be clear with the House that this agreement does not get us any closer to being readmitted to the Horizon Europe programme—to our universities or to Northern Irish universities being readmitted to the programme?

Minister reply

They are two completely separate things. The Windsor framework is about resolving issues with the Northern Ireland protocol and safeguarding sovereignty for the Northern Irish people.

Richard Graham

Question

As a Northern Ireland Unionist family member, I wholeheartedly congratulate the Prime Minister and all those involved with the Windsor framework on resolving issues that have been so damaging to the integrity of the UK and our own UK internal market. Will my right hon. Friend and all the political parties in Northern Ireland now work to resume Government from Stormont as soon as possible?

Minister reply

I agree with my hon. Friend about the importance of restoring power sharing but I know he will agree that the right thing is to give all communities in Northern Ireland the time and space to reflect on the detail of this substantive agreement.

Layla Moran Lib Dem

Oxford West and Abingdon

Question

May I welcome the change in approach, the co-operative spirit with which we have got to this point, and the positive and, I hope, pragmatic relationship moving forward? There is one area that has not been mentioned as a potential area on which to work with the EU, and that is agrifoods.

Minister reply

I think that the issues we have seen over recent times have little to do with our institutional and political frameworks, but everything to do with the weather. We are committed to agrifood innovation, in particular our gene editing Bill is something that farmers across the UK welcome.

Crispin Blunt

Question

This agreement is a remarkable negotiating success, with the EU agreeing to hitherto unique terms in an international treaty. While all associated with this negotiation deserve congratulation, its tone, its courtesy, and its calm and conscientious command of detail were set by the Prime Minister.

Minister reply

I thank my hon. Friend for those warm and, I fear, over-generous words. The UK Government are also exploring mechanisms for a carbon border adjustment mechanism—it is something the Treasury started consulting on last year.

Stephen Kinnock Lab

Aberafan Maesteg

Question

The scrapping of tariffs on steel will be welcomed by steelworkers in the Port Talbot steelworks in my constituency, but may I press the Prime Minister on non-tariff barriers? Will he confirm that quotas will also be scrapped?

Minister reply

The UK Government are exploring mechanisms for a carbon border adjustment mechanism—it is something the Treasury started consulting on last year. The work for all these things is at a relatively early stage, so there is lots of development work to be done.

Ben Spencer Con

Runnymede and Weybridge

Question

I congratulate my right hon. Friend on securing this historic deal, ensuring that our ongoing relationship with the EU works for all parts of our United Kingdom.

Minister reply

I thank my hon. Friend and wholeheartedly agree with him. This framework provides a positive basis to move forward.

Fleur Anderson Lab

Putney

Question

This is certainly an entirely different definition of an “oven-ready” deal. Instead of being good to go, it has taken years, has to be eaten in instalments, and with an interim serving of, by the Prime Minister’s own admissions, a dog’s dinner.

Minister reply

The Windsor framework provides a legally sound sustainable basis on which to move forward. It brings enormous improvement to the situation in Northern Ireland.

Rehman Chishti

Question

I thank the Prime Minister for his commitment and hard work and for the constructive engagement with our European counterparts. On the Stormont brake, the previous emergency brake under David Cameron unfolded with concerns.

Minister reply

It is important that people have the time and space to consider that, but I hope we can move through the process with speed, not least because what we all want is a restored Executive in Northern Ireland.

Martin Docherty

Question

On page 26 of the Prime Minister’s statement—and on various occasions—he talks about: “The Windsor framework goes further still, by safeguarding sovereignty for the people of Northern Ireland”. Of course, 56% of the people of Northern Ireland voted to remain within the single market and are getting a Norway-style deal.

Minister reply

I do not think the hon. Gentleman recognises the unique and specific circumstances of Northern Ireland: the fact that it shares a land border with the EU; the fact that we want to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.

Dean Russell

Question

I join colleagues in expressing my thoughts for DCI Caldwell and his family. This is a complex deal, with a lot detail. I feel hopeful and confident that time is being given to review the deal and that it is not being rushed.

Minister reply

My hon. Friend is right: there is a lot in the agreement. That is because it is a comprehensive agreement that addresses a wide range of issues that were raised with me and my colleagues on the implementation of the protocol.

Geraint Davies

Question

I very much welcome the statement, in particular the sentence: “we will take further steps to avoid regulatory divergence in future.” Can we take that to mean that in the EU law revocation Bill we will maximise the reassimilation of EU law and minimise divergence?

Minister reply

Actually, there are opportunities to do things differently across the UK to drive growth and prosperity, whether in life sciences, financial services, fintech or other areas.

Saqib Bhatti Con

Meriden and Solihull East

Question

I commend the Prime Minister for what he has achieved today. In 2016, if someone had said while we were campaigning to leave the EU that this is what we would have, we would have jumped at it.

Minister reply

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. He is right to take us all back some years and to ask what would we have said if this agreement had been available at that moment in time.

Neil Hudson Con

Epping Forest

Question

I very much welcome the Windsor framework, and I congratulate the Prime Minister and his team on securing this historic agreement. Can he confirm that the very sensible and pragmatic veterinary and sanitary and phytosanitary arrangements within the framework will protect both the UK’s and the island of Ireland’s biosecurity?

Minister reply

There was a lot in there. My hon. Friend is right that long-standing arrangements have been in place to protect biosecurity on the island of Ireland, and indeed on the respect that the UK has had for the single epidemiological zone on that island.

Greg Smith Con

Mid Buckinghamshire

Question

Acknowledging the progress made in the Windsor framework, can you explain how EU law takes primacy under the Stormont brake mechanism and how this differs from UK law being primary with an option to opt into EU law?

Minister reply

Less than 3% of EU law applies in Northern Ireland with consent. This avoids a hard border on the island of Ireland and preserves access to the EU single market for Northern Irish businesses. The Stormont brake ensures that it is the institution and people of Northern Ireland who decide whether these laws are appropriate, offering a veto over concerning laws.

Aaron Bell

Question

Given the recent progress in negotiations, does the Prime Minister agree that the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill is no longer necessary and has no basis in law?

Minister reply

The Attorney General’s note confirms that while the Bill had a sound legal basis when introduced, it is now unnecessary due to the legally sound Windsor framework. This agreement means everyone can plan with certainty, removes EU legal cases against us, and provides clear benefits immediately.

Anthony Mangnall

Question

Can you assure me that nothing will impact our ability to sign future free trade agreements, and that Northern Ireland will benefit equally under the Windsor framework?

Minister reply

The Windsor framework ensures free flow of goods across the UK internal market, protects Northern Ireland’s place in the Union, and restores sovereignty for its people. This includes equal benefits from trade deals and safeguards against a democratic deficit.

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